Upton Park

Tuesday, 1 November 2011

West Ham United 3-2 Leicester City

Aerial shot of Upton Park (Bing Maps)

Ratings

Overall Ground Quality : 8/10

Ease of getting there : 7/10

Atmosphere : 10/10

Programme : 8/10
View of Action : 7/10
Quality of the game : 8/10
The "football" feeling : 9/10
Chances of coming here for a random game : 2/10
Legroom : 6/10 (Stood the whole game)
Surrounding area : 4/10

Overall : 69/100

Programme £3.50

The stadium approach!

West Stand

1966 World Cup winners statue featuring former Hammer's Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters and former Everton player Ray Wilson

Bobby Moore Stand

The corner of the Bobby Moore Stand and East Stand

West Ham United 3-2 Leicester City

We set off at 8:30am and went down the M1 Southbound towards
London. We attempted to get the tube from Stanmore station but we were unable
to due to the lack of street parking which was due to Residential parking
zones, yet again!

We drove around the corner to Kingsbury station where we managed
to park and walk to the station. After having to wait 5 minutes for the ticket
office’s 10:45 opening, we bought our tickets and went to St John’s Wood on the
Jubilee Line to see Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Lord’s holds 28,000 supporters and is owned by Marylebone CC and
Middlesex CCC and England both play there. The media centre at Lord’s is very iconic due to its strange shape which
makes it look almost space looking. Flood lights have been installed at Lord’s
following the use of temporary floodlights that were installed at the ground in
2007 but were eventually taken down in 2008 due to complaints of light
pollution from residents of St. John's Wood. In January 2009, the Westminster
Council gave permission to use the newly installed floodlights. These new
lights were especially designed for the ground in order to prevent as much
light spillage in people's homes as possible. The lights will be allowed for a
five year trial period during which up to 12 matches and 4 practice matches can
be played under the lights from April to September. The lights must be dimmed
to half-strength at 9.50 pm and be switched off by 11 pm. The floodlights were
first used successfully on 27 May 2009 during the Twenty20 Cup match between
Middlesex and Kent. After our visit to Lord’s we walked back to the tube
station and changed at Baker Street and Kings Cross before arriving at Seven
Sister station and getting the bus to White Hart Lane, the home of Tottenham Hotspur.

White Hart Lane holds 36,230 fans following numerous developments
to the ground. Between 1908 and 1972, White Hart Lane was one of very few
British football grounds that featured no advertising hoardings at all. The
early 1990s saw the completion of the South Stand (on Park Lane) and the
introduction of the first Jumbotron video screen, of which there are now two,
one above each penalty area. The ground is situated1.4 miles away from its
nearest tube station, Seven Sisters. When we arrived back at the station, we
took the tube to Blackhorse Road before changing onto a London Overground train
to Barking before changing again to get to Upton Park station. We arrived at
Upton Park station just before 2pm where we walked the short distance to the
ground. Upton Park is considered to be one of English footballs famous grounds.
Since the 1990’s the majority of the ground has been redeveloped apart from the
East Stand which was built in 1969 and is now the oldest and smallest stand at
Upton Park. The stand used to be known as the loudest and most intimidating
stand at Upton Park back in the 1970s–80s but since then following the
conversion of the old 'Chicken Run' terrace at the front of the East Stand to
seating and with the Upton Park pitch being moved further back from the East
Stand, it doesn’t seem that intimidating from the players point of view and the
fans. In 1993 the South Bank was replaced by a new 9,000 seater, two tier stand
named in honour of former captain Bobby Moore, who had died earlier that year.
The stand also incorporates executive boxes as well as a digital clock,
scoreboard and coloured screen. Two years later, the North Bank was replaced by
a new 6,000 seat, two tier stand named the 'Centenary Stand' now re-named as the
"Sir Trevor Brooking Stand". Finally in 2001, the West Stand was
replaced by a new 15,000 seater, two tier stand named the 'Dr. Martens Stand'.
The stand also incorporates executive boxes on two levels as well as the West
Ham United Hotel.

The concourse area in the away end is very limited in space which can
cause problems even with queuing down the stairs to get down to the toilets or
refreshment bar.

The game saw a quality West Ham side beat a down on their knees yet
fighting Leicester City side 3-2 in a close, entertaining game. Goals scored by
Andy King twice for City which were overruled by West Ham’s goal scorers
Faubert and Baldock who got two goals.

We got back to Upton Park station at 5:10 and eventually getting across
London and back to the car at Kingsbury station at 6:20. We were both home
before 9pm.

We both enjoyed our visit to East London and it was a trip worth making
due to the proposed move to the Olympic Stadium which may mean a move away from
Upton Park. We both agree the West Ham should stay where they are, there’s a
‘buzz’ at Upton Park which could never be repeated at the Olympic Stadium.